structure, and a related method, for sealing, from the outside, a leaking puncture wound in the wall of a liquid container. This structure includes a patch body having a perimetered cavity selectively securable via a self-torque-limiting bolt to the outside of such a container in a manner whereby the cavity overlies and faces the wound, with the cavity's perimeter surrounding the wound, and a patch pellet contained and confined in the cavity and formed, at least in part, of a reaction substance which, with the patch body secured to the container, reacts to contact with liquid leaking from the container at least by imbibing such liquid and swelling to apply wound-sealing pressure, and more preferably by additionally reacting with leakage liquid to form a sticky coagulant mass for aiding in applying sealing pressure to the wound. The patch body may either be placed directly against the outside of a container or may be employed with an intermediate, resilient gasket which centralizes the symmetrical introduction of leakage liquid into the pellet-containing cavity in the patch body.
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6. A method for sealing, from the outside, a leaking puncture wound in the wall of a liquid-holding container comprising
placing adjacent the outside of that wound a body of material including a reaction substance which reacts to contact with liquid leaking from the container to form, with such liquid, a flow-inhibiting coagulant,
effectively anchoring that material body to the outside of the container adjacent the wound by a applying pressure to the material body via a tension force created effectively between the container and an external structure which is located on the opposite side of such material body relative to the container, and
by said applying, stabilizing the coagulant adjacent the wound.
4. structure for sealing, from the outside, a leaking puncture wound in the wall of a liquid container comprising
a patch body having a perimetered cavity selectively securable effectively to the outside of such a container, with said cavity overlying and facing the wound, and said cavity's perimeter surrounding the wound,
a gasket operatively interposable the cavity perimeter and the outside of such a container, and including central passage structure for centralizing the symmetrical introduction of leakage liquid into said cavity, and
a patch pellet contained and confined in said cavity and formed, at least in part, of a reaction substance which, with the patch body secured to the container, reacts to contact with liquid leaking from the container to form, with such liquid, a leakage-flow inhibiting coagulant.
1. structure for sealing, from the outside, a leaking puncture wound in the wall of a liquid container, where that wall has an outside surface which is coated with a leakage-inhibiting jacket including a reaction substance which reacts to contact with liquid leaking from the container to form, with such liquid, a flow-blocking coagulant, said structure comprising
a patch body having a side including a perimetered patch cavity, selectively securable to the outside surface of such a jacket with said cavity overlying and facing such a wound, and the cavity's perimeter surrounding the wound and disposed adjacent the jacket's outside surface, and
a patch pellet contained in said cavity and formed, at least in part, of a reaction substance which, with said patch body secured to the jacket, behaves like the first-mentioned reaction substance in relation to contact with liquid which leaks through the container wound and into said cavity, thus to join with the first-mentioned reaction substance to inhibit liquid leakage through the wound from the container.
2. The structure of
3. The structure of
5. The structure of
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This application claims priority to currently pending U.S. Provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/627,628, filed Nov. 11, 2004, for “Fluid Tank Puncture Repair Kit and Method”. The entirety of the disclosure in that prior-filed application is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
This invention pertains to structure (a kit) and related methodology for patching a leak of liquid from a puncture wound in the wall of a liquid container. Two, different preferred embodiments of, and manners of practicing, the invention are described and illustrated herein in the setting of making an emergency, from-the-outside, repair of a ballistic (such as from a bullet) puncture wound in the container wall of a military vehicle fuel tank—a setting wherein the invention has been proven to offer significant defensive advantage in a combat zone. As will be seen, the two, herein-disclosed embodiments of the invention differ in component count, and in specific leak-sealing methodology.
While, as will become apparent, the invention has significant utility in other settings, it is illustrated and described herein in a military vehicle setting which serves to highlight the key features of the invention.
A special characteristic of the invention in its preferred form is that it includes a wound-patching component which possesses a “substance” that reacts to leaking liquid, such as hydrocarbon fuel, to create a collaboration with such liquid thereby to produce a fluid-and-“substance” triggered coagulant that swells to seal a container puncture wound.
Somewhat more broadly viewed, this just-above-mentioned component substance, whether or not effective to create a coagulant mass, nevertheless preferably imbibes leakage liquid, swells in size, and, with the structure of the invention positioned adjacent a container puncture wound for use, is confined and stabilized in such a manner that, in its swelling and ultimately swollen conditions, it applies progressively increasing, and ultimately robust, sealing pressure to close the wound.
In one embodiment of the invention, what is referred to herein as a patch body has a perimeter portion which directly engages the effective outside surface of a container to seal thereagainst in the implementation of puncture-wound sealing. In another disclosed and illustrated embodiment of the invention, a unique, washer-like, resilient sealing gasket is employed intermediate the just-mentioned perimeter portion of the patch body and a container's outside surface. This gasket functions to implement a somewhat different wound-sealing methodology. In both embodiments of the invention as illustrated herein, a unique hollow-stem, self-torque-limiting bolt is preferably utilized to make an attachment to the outside of a container of the type possessing a self-healing puncture-defeating coating which is there applied to the container.
Another feature of the invention comes into play in a circumstance, described herein, where the container whose puncture wound is to be sealed is itself externally coated with an intended self-sealing coating which is formed with a liquid-reaction material (“substance”) which is compatible with that employed in the patch-kit structure and practice of the present invention. In this kind of setting, the sealing response behavior of the invention uniquely collaborates with the self-sealing capabilities of such a coating.
All of the features and advantages of the invention will become more fully apparent as the description which now follows is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Turning now to the drawings, and referring first to
It should be understood that the word “container” as employed herein is not confined to meaning only a vehicle's fuel tank. It may also apply, as examples, to a conduit, to a fuel-supply tanker, to holding tanks, to rail tanker cars, and to other kinds of liquid containers.
While it is not necessary that tank 12 be coated with a self-sealing protective jacket, or skin, 14, tank 12 herein is so coated, and the illustrated and described preferred embodiment of the invention will be seen to have special “collaborative” utility in the presence of such a coating.
Coating 14 herein includes, effectively, a stack of three layers 14a, 14b, 14c. Layer 14a lies directly against the outside surface 12a of tank 12, has a thickness herein of about ⅛-inches, and is formed of an elastomer, such as the product sold under the trademark TUFF STUFF® (FR (fire resistant) made by Rhino Linings USA, Inc. in San Diego, Calif. Layer 14b (shown abutting layer 14a at the location of a dashed line in
Both of the fundamental materials which are employed in coating 14 herein are referred to as being liquid reaction substances. The term “reaction substances” refers to the fact that when hydrocarbon leakage fuel from tank 12 contacts these materials, a chemical/mechanical reaction takes place which causes material-imbibing of such fuel, and volume-swelling of the imbibing material. Additionally, and preferably though not necessarily, a congealing/coagulating reaction occurs with respect to the interaction which occurs between leakage fuel and the imbiber beads, which reaction produces a sticky coagulant mass that, as will be seen, significantly contributes to the puncture-sealing capability of the present invention.
In
Adding attention now to
Washer 22 and body 20 are centrally apertured, as can be seen, to provide operative clearance for the elongate, threaded shank 24a of a hex bolt 24 which has a hex head 24b and a central long axis 24c (see
Shown at 26 recessed within cavity 20a in
In
To seal against fuel leakage from wound 16, with structure 18 pre-assembled as shown in
Bolt 24 is then pressed against coating 14, and thereafter screwed in a self-tapping manner to tightness, as follows. The unique hollow end of the shank in the bolt screws self-tappingly into coating 14—cutting an annular and deepening, threaded path into the coating until the inner “end” 24d of the hollow interior region 24c of bolt shank 24a engages and begins to bear against the upper surface of the portion of coating 14 which now extends into this hollow interior. By the time that this bearing contact has been established, bolt head 24b is already bearing sufficiently downwardly on washer 22 to begin to drive and compress body perimeter structure 20b against coating 14 in an annular region surrounding wound 16. Bolt tightening continues until sufficient compression exists in the coating material portion which bears against the inner end 24d of the bolt-shank hollow automatically to establish an appropriate “tightness torque”.
In
This bolt tightening action attaches and binds (anchors) structure 18 firmly to tank 12 through the connection thus established with coating 14 so as to drive body 20 into secured sealing tightness around the perimeter of cavity 20a.
Later on, if it is desired to add an extra measure of sealing “security” regarding this embodiment of the invention, a ribbon of a suitable urethane caulking material (not illustrated) may be applied around the outside perimeter of body 20 where that perimeter meets with coating 14.
Leaking fuel floods cavity 20a wherein it becomes trapped, and is quickly wicked into pellet 26 to contact beads 26b therein. Pellet 26 is trapped and positionally stabilized in the chamber defined between cavity 20a and the confronting outside surface of coating layer 14c. The beads and fuel promptly react with one another to form, collaboratively, a swelling coagulant which, as it swells, becomes compressed within the small volume of stabilized space which is defined between cavity 20a and the confronting surface of coating 14. The result of this activity is an immediate, full, and secure compressive seal against fuel leakage from tank 12 through wound 16.
An additional matter to note is that, aiding in the leakage-sealing process which is implemented by the behavior of the present invention, is enhanced compression in the zone of the puncture wound, introduced by reactive pressure which develops between coating 14 and external structure body 20 due to tightening of bolt 24, and associated tensing in shank 24a. This tensing condition is referred to herein as a “tension reaction force”.
Turning attention now to
This alternative embodiment of the invention includes one additional component in the form of a uniquely configured, annular, resilient gasket 30. Gasket 30 herein has an outside diameter which is slightly greater than that of patch body 20, a thickness of about ⅛-inches, and is formed of a PVC/Nitrile/Neoprene polymer sold under the trademark Duraform™. Specifically, this material is referred to by its manufacturer, Monmouth Rubber & Plastics Corp. of Long Branch, N.J., with an inventory number IVN41.
As can be seen especially well in
Significantly, with the structure of
It will be understood that this invention, both with respect to its structure and its methodology, may be implemented and practiced in various ways which do not necessarily involve dealing with leakage from a container which is jacketed with a coating like coating 14. Where such a coating is, however, involved as described herein, the “reaction substance” portion of the coating clearly collaborates with the patching/sealing structure and practice of the invention. Also the invention may readily be adapted and employed to deal with leaking liquids which are other than hydrocarbon fuel liquid by selecting and employing “reaction substances” which are appropriate to the particular liquid involved. The invention may also be implemented in a manner wherein “liquid reaction” does indeed involve material-swelling, but not necessarily the formation of a coagulant mass. Thus, effective sealing may readily be achieved simply with the use, in pellet 26, of a reaction substance which merely imbibes leakage liquid, and swells appreciably in size as a result.
The structure of this invention is quite clearly very simple in construction, is easily carried for emergency use when required, and is very easily installed quickly for rapid, effective leak stoppage.
From a methodologic perspective, the invention can be expressed in a number of different ways. A few of these ways are set forth immediately below in several, letter-identified paragraph statements, as follows:
A. A method for sealing, from the outside, a leaking puncture wound in the wall of a liquid-holding container, including the steps of (a) placing adjacent the outside of that wound a body of material including a reaction substance which reacts to contact with leakage liquid to form, with that liquid, a flow-inhibiting coagulant, and (b) effectively anchoring that material body to the outside of the container adjacent the wound.
B. A method for sealing, from the outside, a leaking puncture wound in the wall of a liquid-holding container, including the steps of (a) utilizing liquid leaking from the wound as a participating agent, forming a leakage-inhibiting coagulant immediately outside the wound, and (b) stabilizing the disposition of that coagulant adjacent the wound in a manner aimed at stopping liquid leakage through the wound.
C. A method for sealing a perimetered puncture wound in a fuel tank from the outside of the tank, including the steps of (a) creating against the outside of the tank a generally closed chamber encompassing the wound perimeter, (b) within that chamber, coagulating fuel leaking into the chamber, and (c) by that coagulating, sealing the wound against subsequent fuel leakage.
D. A method for sealing, from the outside, a leaking puncture wound in the wall of a liquid-holding container, including the steps of (a) placing adjacent the outside of that wound a body of material including a reaction substance which reacts to contact with leakage liquid to imbibe fuel and swell in size, and (b) effectively anchoring that material body to the outside of the container adjacent, and to apply sealing pressure to, the wound.
Accordingly, while a preferred embodiment of, and manner of practicing, the invention, with certain variations described, have been expressed and illustrated herein, it is appreciated that other variations and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.
Henry, James Jackson Milham, Monk, Russell Allen, Ohnstad, Thomas Stegen
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Nov 01 2005 | MONK, RUSSELL A | High Impact Technology, LLC | ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 025346 | /0018 | |
Nov 01 2005 | OHNSTAD, THOMAS S | High Impact Technology, LLC | ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 025346 | /0018 | |
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Nov 05 2005 | OHNSTAD, THOMAS S | High Impact Technology, LLC | ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 017700 | /0807 |
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